In present-day T20 cricket, a target around 200 is at best a fighting total. At the batting-friendly M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, such a figure further shrinks in value, like money in an inflation-ravaged economy.

On Friday, Royal Challengers Bengaluru confirmed it once more by coasting to five-wicket victory — with seven balls to spare — over Gujarat Titans to record a fifth win this IPL and regain second spot.

Set 206 to win, RCB was propelled by first-rate batting performances from Virat Kohli (81, 44b, 8×4, 4×6) and Devdutt Padikkal (55, 27b, 2×4, 6×6), with the duo putting on 115 runs from 59 balls for the second wicket.

That partnership would have been a non-starter if Washington Sundar had held on to a dolly at mid-wicket to dismiss Kohli off the first ball.

But instead, much to the delight of the home faithful, Kohli indulged in some brilliant strokeplay, with his wristy sixes off Kagiso Rabada and Jason Holder standing out.

Padikkal gave another glimpse of his evolution in the shortest format with some belligerent but classy hitting. The two jaw-dropping flicks off Rabada and Prasidh Krishna were the best examples.

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Earlier, B. Sai Sudharsan scored his third IPL century (100, 58b, 11×4, 5×6), and he and skipper Shubman Gill put on their highest opening-wicket partnership this campaign (128).

The southpaw, after negotiating a few testing deliveries from the deceitfully crafty hand of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, let loose with an uncharacteristically unorthodox scooped boundary off Josh Hazlewood.

The 24-year-old then slashed the Aussie for a six, scooped Romario Shepherd for another maximum, and cleared the boundary twice off spinner Krunal Pandya.

The more pedigreed Gill was happy to play second fiddle, facing just seven balls in the PowerPlay and 22 in the first 10 overs.

But despite being at 104 for no loss after 10 overs, Titans did not capitalise. Four balls into the 13th, Gill was caught at long-on off Suyash Sharma. Sai Sudharsan followed his leader back after being caught and bowled by Hazlewood.

Suyash, Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood conceded just 17 runs from overs 17 to 19 to slam the brakes fully. In the 20th, the burly Holder blasted 18 runs, but it was not enough to upend conventional wisdom at the Chinnaswamy.

Published on Apr 24, 2026